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PO BOX 12233, MD K2-03 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Phone: 919.541.3345 • http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov Printed on recycled paper June 2011 Headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences NIH - HHS www.niehs.nih.gov Formaldehyde Key Points What is formaldehyde? (Pronounced for `mal de hide) Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical widely used by industry to make home building products. It is a colorless gas at room temperature, or available as a liquid called formalin. How is formaldehyde used? Formaldehyde is widely used to manufacture building materials and household products. Most formaldehyde produced in the United States is for the manufacture of resins, such as urea-formaldehyde, used to make the adhesives for pressed wood products, such as particleboard, furniture, paneling, cabinets, and other products. Formaldehyde is also commonly used as a preservative in medical laboratories, mortuaries, and consumer products, including some hair smoothing and straightening products. It is also a by-product of automobile combustion and is produced in small amounts by most living organisms, including humans. How are people exposed to formaldehyde? People are exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace and in their home environment, but the h ighest levels are found in work settings where formaldehyde is used or produced. Exposure to formaldehyde can occur in numerous industries and professions, such as manufacturers of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins, woodworking, and furniture making. Morticians and laboratory workers may also be exposed to formaldehyde. The g enera l popul ation is expo sed to formaldehyde by breathing contaminated indoor or outdoor air and from tobacco smoke. A utomobile and other combustion sources, such as woodstoves, incinerators, refineries, forest fires, and fumes released from new construction or home-finishing products, are some of the major sources of airborne formaldehyde. Other consumer goods, inc luding some hair smoothing and straightening products used in salons, cleaning agents, glues, and adhesives, may contain formaldehyde. Form aldehyde levels can be higher in indoor air than in outdoor air. Formaldehyde n Known to be a human carcinogen n Chemical widely used to make building materials n Found in pressed wood products, cigarette smoke n Used as a pres ervativ e in l abs and mortuaries n Previously listed as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen Report on Carcinogens Status Known to be a human carcinogen The R eport on Carc inogen s, Tw elfth Edition, is prep ared by the National T oxic ology Pro gram, an interagency group coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report identifies agents, substances, mixtures, or exposures in t wo categories: known to be a human carcinogen and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen . The full Report on Carcinogens is available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/ roc12. 2011
